Farang Prices In Thailand

[StreetCowboy]

They probably spoke English, which is an extra service

No, I'm a Thai speaker. I speak Thai when consulting with my doctor, I don't need an interpreter and if I did I would ask for one.

If I asked for an interpreter I'd expect to be charged for an interpreter, but I doubt and I would not expect the provision of an interpreter to double the price of the medical services I use.

So you do not misunderstand - I go to the hospital for professional medical services, I'm a Thai speaker, I do not need nor want 'English Language Service', I want the specific services of a specific doctor, a man I speak to in his own language - Thai.

If I attend an pre-booked appointment I pay one price. If I'm directed to the same doctor via the expat service desk I pay double the price.

The only thing the expat service desk do is double the price.

And provide a walk-in service.

Have you tried pre-booking in English, to see if you can get the special price that way?

SC

[samran]

I found it funny that even samitivej in Bangkok charge foreigners a bit more. 10 baht surcharge to be exact, last time I looked.

More seriously though, GH is spot on, double pricing, when you have no choice, is out of line.

[rene123]

I don't worry about what "deals" other people get. I just concentrate on what I have to pay and access if it is good value for what I have to pay. A one time only trip is sometimes worth paying more for. It's not like you are going to be going to parks every day. I'm more surprised when I have to pay more for one small cup of coffee in a cafe than an entire Thai meal that comes with as much ice water as I can drink. Sometimes things just don't make sense.

[willyumiii]

This topic has been done to death but let me bring up some points that have generally not been raised by any posters so far:<br /><br />As has already been stated, there are plenty of ways to avoid dual pricing including speaking Thai, flashing your Thai driver's license and asking to speak to management. Of course an even better way would be to highlight this discrimination by writing a polite, but firm letter to relevant authorities and perhaps taking it further by publishing your experiences in a local newspaper in case your case is not heard or responded to favorably - this might actually stir up a positive change just like what happened when a reporter pointed out how the ferris wheel at Asiatique was trying to charge Thais a measly 50 Baht less than foreigners (Thais 200 Baht, foreigners 250 Baht), which eventually caused Asiatique to back down and charge everyone the higher rate. Of course it doesn't help when Asian foreigners are sometimes charged only the local price (and often don't have to do much apart from not talk to receive this privilege) because the Thais can't even tell the difference between themselves and other Asians and wrongfully assume the only foreign tourists in Thailand are westerners and perhaps a smattering of Indians and Africans when in fact the majority of tourists these days are from East Asian countries.<br /><br />Thailand should really start to move beyond this racist practice, by also considering that these days, Thailand has moved well into the realm of middle income countries so playing the race card by saying foreigners are rich is almost akin to admitting "Thailand is a poor country where everyone is poor, thus the locals should pay less than the foreigners". It's with this attitude that the country seems to be content with its position in the global hierarchy and thus doesn't seem to want to become more developed.<br /><br />Case in point that this practice needs to be urgently reviewed: virtually every Thai that can afford to visit a national park or an attraction such as Siam Ocean World has a car, often a new one. Now given that Thai car prices are higher than car prices in many western countries, the very fact that so many Thais can afford a car, even if it's financed means they have money and can thus afford to pay a reasonable amount for a ticket. It is thus ludicrous to rely on foreigners to subsidize the cost of entry - indeed, at many attractions in the countryside there may not be any foreigners visiting these attractions at all, so the extra income that a foreigner would bring is tiny and thus not worth it. The best price to charge would thus be one which is somewhere in between the current local and foreigner rates and thus eventually charge everyone the same. The argument that poor people would be left out is also just as ludicrous - first of all, even at current rates of say 40 Baht to enter a national park, poor people can't afford this and for the most part don't have time for leisure activities like this. Poor people are usually too busy working all day, every day to make a living in the rice fields, or as laborers etc. so clearly tourist attractions in Thailand are for middle and upper class people, who apart from having the financial means to visit these attractions also have at least some work-life balance, i.e. time to do so.<br /><br />China and Vietnam both stopped the practice of charging foreigners more for entry at all tourist attractions some years back (although in Vietnam the Hue Palace is one exception; though the price difference isn't huge, foreigners pay 55,000 Dong, whilst locals pay 35,000 Dong) and Vietnam is a much poorer country than Thailand, go figure! So if the Vietnamese could do it, why can't the Thais? How about China? Not only are most tourist attractions there much larger, more interesting and you get more value for money than anything in Thailand, but seniors upon showing their IDs, students (including foreigners studying in China and sometimes even foreigners studying abroad) will, upon showing their student cards be entitled to a student discount. In Thailand? Forget it - not only do seniors and students of foreign origin have to pay more than locals and the same as every other foreign adult, but locals in these categories are also discriminated against - I have never seen any senior or student discounts at national parks, museums or other tourist attractions only one rate for adults and another for children. So in summary, Thailand still has a long way to go in this respect.<br /><br />Fortunately though, unlike Myanmar, in Thailand there is generally one rate for all when it comes to hotels, plane tickets, bus tickets etc. except in the case of special promotions, which sometimes even entitle foreigners to discounts that locals can't access although conversely, the opposite is also sometimes true especially during peak local travel periods when locals and expats can get a special rate but not visiting foreigners (although the differences are usually small). Most recently I was listening to an ad on Met 107 for a 6900 Baht voucher for some kind of accommodation for Thais, expats AND ASEAN citizens? Hmm...why should ASEAN citizens also be entitled to this voucher especially if they don't have Thai work visas etc.?

"This topic has been done to death, but let me bring up some points"

[StreetCowboy]

This topic has been done to death but let me bring up some points ...

8>< ------ SNIP------ ><8

"This topic has been done to death, but let me bring up some points"

I'd rather let sleeping dogs lie.

[brewsterbudgen]

I won't go to places like that. Everyone who does is supporting such actions and allows them to raise the rates even more.

Wait until a bus driver in some small city bus tries to make you sit in the floor because "seat for Thai people." Up to you to accept that or not, but that is where I got off the bus and told him to f*uck himself.

No one is making you come to Thailand!

[GuestHouse]

And provide a walk-in service.

Have you tried pre-booking in English, to see if you can get the special price that way?

SC

Why would I speak to a Thai person in English?

[Naam]

And provide a walk-in service.

Have you tried pre-booking in English, to see if you can get the special price that way?

SC

Why would I speak to a Thai person in English?

BINGO! i always address a Thai person in Urdu or Lower Bavarian.

[StreetCowboy]

And provide a walk-in service.

Have you tried pre-booking in English, to see if you can get the special price that way?

SC

Why would I speak to a Thai person in English?

To find out if the price was relevant to the person, or the desk.

Perhaps the alternative price is for foreigners (or perhaps anyone) who walks in without an appointment, and the front-line staff are not willing to make an assessment of your ability to speak Thai and judge whether you are fit to pay the walk-in price at one of the regular counters, or whether you need to go to the specialist English-speaking walk-in counter.

However, if you can get the excessive price by speaking English when making a phone booking, then perhaps it is about the person, and not the service, as you claim.

SC

[GuestHouse]

And provide a walk-in service.

Have you tried pre-booking in English, to see if you can get the special price that way?

SC

Why would I speak to a Thai person in English?

To find out if the price was relevant to the person, or the desk.

Perhaps the alternative price is for foreigners (or perhaps anyone) who walks in without an appointment, and the front-line staff are not willing to make an assessment of your ability to speak Thai and judge whether you are fit to pay the walk-in price at one of the regular counters, or whether you need to go to the specialist English-speaking walk-in counter.

However, if you can get the excessive price by speaking English when making a phone booking, then perhaps it is about the person, and not the service, as you claim.

SC

Then you would be applying yet another apologist argument that I was given a higher price because I need to use their English language services.

The existence of an expat desk via which prices are doubled is evidence that the hospital has a policy of charging expats double.

Skirt the desk and the same medical services are given at half the price of obtaining those services via the expat service desk.

Does the logic evade you?

[mca]

This topic has been done to death but let me bring up some points that have generally not been raised by any posters so far:<br /><br />As has already been stated, there are plenty of ways to avoid dual pricing including speaking Thai, flashing your Thai driver's license and asking to speak to management. Of course an even better way would be to highlight this discrimination by writing a polite, but firm letter to relevant authorities and perhaps taking it further by publishing your experiences in a local newspaper in case your case is not heard or responded to favorably - this might actually stir up a positive change just like what happened when a reporter pointed out how the ferris wheel at Asiatique was trying to charge Thais a measly 50 Baht less than foreigners (Thais 200 Baht, foreigners 250 Baht), which eventually caused Asiatique to back down and charge everyone the higher rate. Of course it doesn't help when Asian foreigners are sometimes charged only the local price (and often don't have to do much apart from not talk to receive this privilege) because the Thais can't even tell the difference between themselves and other Asians and wrongfully assume the only foreign tourists in Thailand are westerners and perhaps a smattering of Indians and Africans when in fact the majority of tourists these days are from East Asian countries.<br /><br />Thailand should really start to move beyond this racist practice, by also considering that these days, Thailand has moved well into the realm of middle income countries so playing the race card by saying foreigners are rich is almost akin to admitting "Thailand is a poor country where everyone is poor, thus the locals should pay less than the foreigners". It's with this attitude that the country seems to be content with its position in the global hierarchy and thus doesn't seem to want to become more developed.<br /><br />Case in point that this practice needs to be urgently reviewed: virtually every Thai that can afford to visit a national park or an attraction such as Siam Ocean World has a car, often a new one. Now given that Thai car prices are higher than car prices in many western countries, the very fact that so many Thais can afford a car, even if it's financed means they have money and can thus afford to pay a reasonable amount for a ticket. It is thus ludicrous to rely on foreigners to subsidize the cost of entry - indeed, at many attractions in the countryside there may not be any foreigners visiting these attractions at all, so the extra income that a foreigner would bring is tiny and thus not worth it. The best price to charge would thus be one which is somewhere in between the current local and foreigner rates and thus eventually charge everyone the same. The argument that poor people would be left out is also just as ludicrous - first of all, even at current rates of say 40 Baht to enter a national park, poor people can't afford this and for the most part don't have time for leisure activities like this. Poor people are usually too busy working all day, every day to make a living in the rice fields, or as laborers etc. so clearly tourist attractions in Thailand are for middle and upper class people, who apart from having the financial means to visit these attractions also have at least some work-life balance, i.e. time to do so.<br /><br />China and Vietnam both stopped the practice of charging foreigners more for entry at all tourist attractions some years back (although in Vietnam the Hue Palace is one exception; though the price difference isn't huge, foreigners pay 55,000 Dong, whilst locals pay 35,000 Dong) and Vietnam is a much poorer country than Thailand, go figure! So if the Vietnamese could do it, why can't the Thais? How about China? Not only are most tourist attractions there much larger, more interesting and you get more value for money than anything in Thailand, but seniors upon showing their IDs, students (including foreigners studying in China and sometimes even foreigners studying abroad) will, upon showing their student cards be entitled to a student discount. In Thailand? Forget it - not only do seniors and students of foreign origin have to pay more than locals and the same as every other foreign adult, but locals in these categories are also discriminated against - I have never seen any senior or student discounts at national parks, museums or other tourist attractions only one rate for adults and another for children. So in summary, Thailand still has a long way to go in this respect.<br /><br />Fortunately though, unlike Myanmar, in Thailand there is generally one rate for all when it comes to hotels, plane tickets, bus tickets etc. except in the case of special promotions, which sometimes even entitle foreigners to discounts that locals can't access although conversely, the opposite is also sometimes true especially during peak local travel periods when locals and expats can get a special rate but not visiting foreigners (although the differences are usually small). Most recently I was listening to an ad on Met 107 for a 6900 Baht voucher for some kind of accommodation for Thais, expats AND ASEAN citizens? Hmm...why should ASEAN citizens also be entitled to this voucher especially if they don't have Thai work visas etc.?

Bloody hell mate you don't get charged the foreign price for writing in paragraphs.

[Kitsune]

This topic has been done to death but let me bring up some points that have generally not been raised by any posters so far:<br /><br />As has already been stated, there are plenty of ways to avoid dual pricing including speaking Thai, flashing your Thai driver's license and asking to speak to management. Of course an even better way would be to highlight this discrimination by writing a polite, but firm letter to relevant authorities and perhaps taking it further by publishing your experiences in a local newspaper in case your case is not heard or responded to favorably - this might actually stir up a positive change just like what happened when a reporter pointed out how the ferris wheel at Asiatique was trying to charge Thais a measly 50 Baht less than foreigners (Thais 200 Baht, foreigners 250 Baht), which eventually caused Asiatique to back down and charge everyone the higher rate. Of course it doesn't help when Asian foreigners are sometimes charged only the local price (and often don't have to do much apart from not talk to receive this privilege) because the Thais can't even tell the difference between themselves and other Asians and wrongfully assume the only foreign tourists in Thailand are westerners and perhaps a smattering of Indians and Africans when in fact the majority of tourists these days are from East Asian countries.<br /><br />Thailand should really start to move beyond this racist practice, by also considering that these days, Thailand has moved well into the realm of middle income countries so playing the race card by saying foreigners are rich is almost akin to admitting "Thailand is a poor country where everyone is poor, thus the locals should pay less than the foreigners". It's with this attitude that the country seems to be content with its position in the global hierarchy and thus doesn't seem to want to become more developed.<br /><br />Case in point that this practice needs to be urgently reviewed: virtually every Thai that can afford to visit a national park or an attraction such as Siam Ocean World has a car, often a new one. Now given that Thai car prices are higher than car prices in many western countries, the very fact that so many Thais can afford a car, even if it's financed means they have money and can thus afford to pay a reasonable amount for a ticket. It is thus ludicrous to rely on foreigners to subsidize the cost of entry - indeed, at many attractions in the countryside there may not be any foreigners visiting these attractions at all, so the extra income that a foreigner would bring is tiny and thus not worth it. The best price to charge would thus be one which is somewhere in between the current local and foreigner rates and thus eventually charge everyone the same. The argument that poor people would be left out is also just as ludicrous - first of all, even at current rates of say 40 Baht to enter a national park, poor people can't afford this and for the most part don't have time for leisure activities like this. Poor people are usually too busy working all day, every day to make a living in the rice fields, or as laborers etc. so clearly tourist attractions in Thailand are for middle and upper class people, who apart from having the financial means to visit these attractions also have at least some work-life balance, i.e. time to do so.<br /><br />China and Vietnam both stopped the practice of charging foreigners more for entry at all tourist attractions some years back (although in Vietnam the Hue Palace is one exception; though the price difference isn't huge, foreigners pay 55,000 Dong, whilst locals pay 35,000 Dong) and Vietnam is a much poorer country than Thailand, go figure! So if the Vietnamese could do it, why can't the Thais? How about China? Not only are most tourist attractions there much larger, more interesting and you get more value for money than anything in Thailand, but seniors upon showing their IDs, students (including foreigners studying in China and sometimes even foreigners studying abroad) will, upon showing their student cards be entitled to a student discount. In Thailand? Forget it - not only do seniors and students of foreign origin have to pay more than locals and the same as every other foreign adult, but locals in these categories are also discriminated against - I have never seen any senior or student discounts at national parks, museums or other tourist attractions only one rate for adults and another for children. So in summary, Thailand still has a long way to go in this respect.<br /><br />Fortunately though, unlike Myanmar, in Thailand there is generally one rate for all when it comes to hotels, plane tickets, bus tickets etc. except in the case of special promotions, which sometimes even entitle foreigners to discounts that locals can't access although conversely, the opposite is also sometimes true especially during peak local travel periods when locals and expats can get a special rate but not visiting foreigners (although the differences are usually small). Most recently I was listening to an ad on Met 107 for a 6900 Baht voucher for some kind of accommodation for Thais, expats AND ASEAN citizens? Hmm...why should ASEAN citizens also be entitled to this voucher especially if they don't have Thai work visas etc.?

Bloody hell mate you don't get charged the foreign price for writing in paragraphs.

lol